


Royal Intrigue

by DixieDale



Category: Clan O'Donnell - Fandom, Garrison's Gorillas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:22:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22622461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DixieDale/pseuds/DixieDale
Summary: When someone is needed to step in and foil a nefarious plot involving the Crown Princess of another country?  To discover the identity of the traitor in the Allied bee-hive?  Lieutenant Parker Andrews could think of no one any more qualified than Lieutenant Craig Garrison and his team.   And when someone is needed to impersonate a visiting Royal Prince, who better than Actor?  And while that had been admittedly Major Kevin Richards' idea, Garrison's con man just had to agree -  he WAS absolutely perfect for the role.  After all, he did have a certain regal air about him.  In the end, there was not one who disagreed with that - there WAS just something 'royal' about him!
Comments: 10
Kudos: 4





	1. Introduction

"A Royal Prince? Well, I do not think that will prove to be any great difficulty. It is primarily a manner of bearing and attitude, after all, along with having the appropriate wardrobe and knowledge. Prince Rudolph - it DOES have a nice ring to it, don't you think, Craig?" Actor declared as he preened at the picture forming in his mind. Already he was busy with plans on how he would carry this off in style.

{"Now, what would a royal prince wear? A tuxedo in the evenings, of course, or at least evening dress of the very best quality. But during the daytime - now, let me think . . ."}

He'd found the idea quite satisfying, portraying a member of a royal family, even if one from a country with a entire population of less than that of London. 

However, after the mission was over? When first Coura O'Donnell confirmed that, in her opinion, he was indeed QUITE 'royal' in nature? When Craig Garrison indicated so strongly that he agreed with her? 

Then, Actor found it not nearly so pleasing. In fact, found it a surprisingly unpleasant experience. Though perhaps it was the other words being attached to that 'royal' that caused his discomfort - somehow that changed the entire cachet of the word.


	2. Royalty Descending

Prince Rudolph and the Crown Princess Geila were in London only briefly before their return to their own small country deep in the Balkans. It was one of those 'secret, but NOT so secret' things that somehow a surprising number of people knew about. 

The aristocratic and ever-so-elegant Prince Rudolph, loving and protective uncle that he was, was collecting the young Crown Princess Geila from the security of the very exclusive girls' school where she'd spent the past two years. Rudolph, a tall, sophisticated and charming man in his early forties, had proclaimed himself honored that his brother-in-law entrusted this to him, the safe conveyance of the king's most precious child, the heir to the throne. 

Well, no longer quite a child, but at seventeen, approaching womanhood, but not fully there yet. She was grave, courteous, and looked much like her mother at the same age, a mother she had lost several years earlier. If Geila was not a diamond of the first water, she was certainly quite attractive, with kind eyes and a sweet smile that hid the sharp intelligence beneath. 

If Rudolph thought her perhaps a bit TOO young to be returning to her father's side, to start learning what was involved in leading their country, he'd expressed that only mildly, and only once, when his brother-in-law, the king had insisted. 

"No, Rudolph, it is time. She needs to be at my side, learning what it means to be the ruler of our country. There are times when I regret following your advice, sending her to school abroad, but that is perhaps selfish of me. You were most probably right; she DID need the experience, but now it is time for her to gain experience here."

After all, Geila was destined to sit on that throne eventually; perhaps it WAS best she start learning now, while she had plenty of time to become as fine a leader as her father. 

And it WAS Geila who would sit on that throne, according to the laws of their land. Rudolph was careful to explain that, defend that, when there were others who suggested perhaps HE, a mature man of much worldly experience, would perhaps be better suited. After all, he WAS a Prince.

"Yes, perhaps it might seem so, be better. After all, I am certainly older, and we should hope, wiser; and I have studied the governing of our country, how other countries are governed, since I was quite a bit younger than dear Geila. I act as ex-officio representative for the King, now, and will most likely do so for her as well, in time.

"However, ours is a hereditary monarchy, with the same blood line being seated on the throne since our country was first formed. You see, I am the brother of the King's FIRST wife. She died before he rose to the throne, and she unfortunately bore him no children. The Crown Princess is his daughter by his second wife, his Queen, who was also of the royal blood lines. Yes, complicated perhaps, but her title is hereditary; mine, well, more of a courtesty, you might say, a way of honoring my sister AND my own slight contributions."

If he resented any of that, you could never have told by his demeanor; he was always quite complimentary of the King, seemed quite fond of the Crown Princess Geila.

"I don't trust him, you see," Lieutenant Parker Andrews confided to his father. "And Geila doesn't either, is worried about making the trip back alone with him, no matter how much she wants to be with her father again. Perhaps it is partly because he was the one who convinced her father to send her away in the first place, but she says he makes her skin crawl every time he looks at her. I have to say, I don't much care for it, either, or him, for that matter."

The Crown Princess was staying at the home of one of his friends, Stephen Pine, Stephen's sister Lucy having been a classmate of Geila's. Lucy had brought her royal classmate home with her for various school holidays, and now, had invited her to stay with the family until her uncle came to escort her home.

Parker had met her there on several occasions, liked her, was rapidly wondering whether that wasn't all he felt towards Geila. Oh, he didn't say anything - after all, she was still very young. Of course, at not quite twenty, he wasn't all that ancient himself Then, there was that matter about her being royalty; that didn't seem all that promising for any wistful hopes he might be having in that direction. But he resolved that, at the very least, he could be her friend.

Prince Rudolph had done nothing overt to gain Parker's mistrust, seemed to be all that was proper and avuncular on the two occasions they came into contact. Nothing out in the open, but there was enough in the undercurrents for Parker to make a trip to visit his natural father. 

"Yes, he is most attentive to her, hovers even. He warned me off, me and Stephen, but discreetly, I'll admit, with a firm but kind 'word to the wise' sort of approach. You know, how he is sure we understand, but her youth, her naivete, her current and future position in her country, we have to take all of that into account and not let our admiration lead us into youthful folly. All quite understandable, of course, taking it at face value. 

"But there's just something cold and calculating in his eyes when he looks at her, at least when he thinks no one else can see. And his explanation to Mr. Pine about why she will inherit the throne, why HE is not in line? It was 'off', somehow, and he was quite clever in tossing in a thing or two that as much as said that he WOULD be the better choice, probably WOULD be the choice, if not for the inconvenience of his sister dying before being made Queen, the second marriage, and Geila's birth."

"You really like this chit," his father hurrumphed, getting a flushed smile and nod of agreement from Parker. "Maybe you're jealous of this Prince Rudolph. Wouldn't be unheard of, not even the worst thing for a country, a very young hereditary Crown Princess marrying someone older and wiser, someone better suited to be the actual ruler. Political marriages are quite common at that level, you know."

"Yes, I do like her, a lot. Enough I don't like the idea of her marrying anyone she doesn't want to, someone she doesn't like. And yes, I KNOW political marriages happen, and they can work out fine sometimes. And maybe that IS what he has in mind, but maybe it's something else entirely. Something not quite as honorable as a mutually-agreed-upon match."

"Something else? Something more Machievellian, perhaps?"

Parker met his father's keen gaze. Well, his mother had always said his father was quite a sharp one.

"Exactly. If Geila were no longer in the picture? What would happen then? As she told me, there are no others of the royal blood standing in line behind her. That would take the monarchy in a different direction, out of sheer necessity. Perhaps someone the country is familiar with, and already accepts as a representative for the throne; that someone 'older and wiser' might be the logical one for the King to consider as the one to follow him."

The older man nodded, slowly, expanding that line of reasoning one step farther.

"Perhaps follow him sooner than the King might have anticipated, if this Rudolph is thinking along those lines."

A few discreet inquiries and something else came to light, some chatter from the Intelligence Division, and Parker's father considered his options for the dangers he could see. No one could dispute that it was a complicated situation, even discounting his son's obvious affection for the young lady.

Well, there was the continued safety of the Crown Princess and her safe return to her father's side to keep in mind. And his own country hardly needed the embarrassment by having the girl disappear in England - disappear or something just as dire. 

There would need to be some very careful observation of Prince Rudolph by someone who would be on the watch for any possible threat to the girl, either from the Prince himself or others who might benefit from the young woman's harm. 

And then, there was that added wrinkle - the shadowy hint from the secretive halls of espionage that there were those supposedly working for the Allies, but in actuality working against them, and that THOSE individuals had their OWN plans for the Crown Princess, plans inspired by ambitions in Berlin. 

The question was, who did he know, or know OF, who could handle such a twisted mess of complications? He was mulling that over when Parker Andrews had a couple of suggestions, and after due consideration, his father agreed. 

"Should be right up their alley, so to speak, all of it, from all you've told me and I've learned elsewhere."


	3. Royal Impersonations

"Alright, I get the general picture. So, where do WE come in?" Garrison had asked Major Richards during a sit-down in the lieutenant's office at the Mansion.

A Crown Princess, royal intrigue and royal aspirations - you would think that was nothing that would have involved Lieutenant Craig Garrison and his crew, but you'd have been mistaken. 

For, as Richards explained it, things were not as they seemed, even on the surface, and once you sank BELOW the surface, well, they got increasingly complicated. The possibilities ranged from there BEING no nefarious plot in the first place, to it being a plot to surplant the legitimate heir of a friendly country, to finally the possibility of enemy agents taking a hand to both control that country via a regime change, AND to embarrass England. 

"Should I pick my preference?" he'd asked dryly.

"Certainly, not that I am sure your preference, OR mine, or anyone else's will change the reality, Lieutenant Garrison. Whatever that reality might be. It WOULD be nice if we had some sounder footing there, but we don't."

As Garrison understood it, the plan was for Actor to play the part of Prince Rudolph, escorting the young Crown Princess Geila home to that tiny country where her father ruled. Word was that the Nazi's really, really wanted Geila in their own hands, and there was some hint that Prince Rudolph was willing to make or at least allow that to happen, furthering his own ambitions in the process. 

That was bad enough, but when there were also hints that someone on the Allied side was working toward that end as well? That was what brought the whole mess to Richards' desk in the first place. 

Well, that and the smirking recommendation from young Lieutenant Parker Andrews to his father, that ever-so-influential member of the British government. A recommendation that not only should Richards be involved, but also Garrison and his team. Surely if this could all be figured out, handled, that group of talented and devious men should be able to do the trick.

So there it was. The mission called for Garrison and the team to coordinate with Major Kevin Richards, with Actor impersonating Prince Rudolph, and the second oldest of the O'Donnell sisters playing the part of Geila. All in order to bait a trap in hopes of luring out of hiding the unknown traitor in their midst. 

"We will find a way to keep the Prince and Crown Princess at a safe location, nowhere near the activity. We're keeping a close eye on both of them anyway, in case the Prince tries anything on his own.

"The thing is, if the villains DO take the bait, until they come through the door, make their move, we won't have any idea who to expect. Tricky, to say the least. 

"We can hardly go accosting any casual visitors, though Miss Grimes has been cautioned against involving any others. Still, she is a social creature, it would appear, and the chance for someone stopping by cannot be ruled out. 

"No, she has not been told of the substitutions, thinks she is playing hostess to the real Crown Princess and Prince Rudolph. Even her cousin, who is rather highly-placed in Whitehall, the one who arranged for the visit has been denied that little detail. Not that we suspect him of any wrongdoing, but still, things DO have a way of filtering into places we'd prefer them not, even from an office as secure as his.

"He has handled a few other matters of this sort before, with his cousin, Miss Grimes, a most gracious and capable hostess, cooperating in providing a private and safe place for conversation and mild entertainment for visitors. He found nothing strange in being asked to do so again.

"It will simply appear Miss Grimes will be entertaining Prince Rudolph and the young woman at the behest of her cousin, for the purpose of some conversation with individuals who wish to have a quiet word. I have not informed either of them that you and your men will be present and involved, or even myself, for that matter. This should prove an ideal opportunity, from the viewpoint of anyone thinking to make a move, especially with the word out that the two will departing for their own country on the following morning."

Garrison nodded, and together the two went to inform the team of Actor's new title. Seeing that smug, self-satisfied smile on the Italian's face, both officers figured he would carry the role quite well. They also figured the man would get lots of flack from the other team members, now and later.

Originally it was supposed to be Meghada O'Donnell handling the other required impersonation, although the part really was a little young for her since the Crown Princess Geila was only seventeen while Meghada was in her very early twenties. Though, with the proper clothes and hair style, some careful makeup, she could have carried it off; she had pulled off far more outrageous and unlikely impersonations before.

But that hadn't happened. Once the playing field shifted, Richards deciding to turn to Ciena instead, leaving Meghada with a different part of the complicated mess that had landed on Richards' desk. She, Lieutenant Parker Andrews, Chief, and Ian O'Donnell were now escorting the Crown Princess safely back to her father's side, over the vigorous objections of Prince Rudolph. 

No one was taking his objections very much to heart, though. Not after Rudolph had made that revealing, self-damning phone call, a call overheard and taped by the electronic device Ian had so neatly installed. 

Geila had taken a great deal of pleasure in reminding a hand-cuffed Prince Rudolph that "arranging for the kidnapping of a member of the royal family is considered treason, and treason is a crime punishable by death, dear, DEAR Uncle Rudolph. For one of lesser rank, it would be the gallows, of course; but for one of your rank? For you, there is the Royal Headsman and his ax. I would not wish to deprive you of any of the privileges of your rank."

Meghada had found herself almost laughing at the expression on Rudolph's face at that extremely royal declaration by the young woman. Yes, she could see Geila seated on a throne, most capably as well.

With the full approval of the Crown Princess, the Prince was returning by a different route, accompanied by Casino and three OTHER members of Clan O'Donnell. They were taking no chances with the young woman's safety, and it seemed keeping the Prince far, far away from her was best.

In this matter, one where treachery was suspected, but with not having any real clue as to which individual or individuals should be considered suspects, Richards felt far more comfortable using people he KNEW he could trust in both cases. That he included Chief and Casino in that fairly short list was something he would never have imagined on their first meeting, and found rather amusing now.

For the job of impersonating Geila, Richards had turned to Ciena, next younger of the O'Donnell sisters, but she was still so battered from HER last job that she wasn't moving well, and as she put it, "Kevin, there is no amount of makeup in the world that's going to cover THIS black eye! What do I tell them? I got it at the very select school where I've spent the majority of the last two years? Just a small mishap on the games field, perhaps? That may pass, but the broken arm and ribs might seem just a little off, don't you think? Not to mention the knife slash across the side of my neck. Or do the team sports at that select academy for young ladies really get that rough?"

Yes, Richards had to admit that while she looked and moved better than her last opponent, since Boris was extremely dead, that wasn't necessarily saying much.

So, although Major Richards was most reluctant to bring the youngest sister into the line of fire, he was stuck - the job was already on the move, everything in place, except for a reasonable 'Geila' substitute. Just how many teenage girls did he have at his disposal, after all?? Especially one who was capable of not only the con but a lot more. 

Yes, Richards had to admit, he was concerned about bringing the youngest O'Donnell sister into such a scheme, and not just because of her youth. There was that, of course, even with his reluctant acceptance that maturity levels were not equal between Clan and Outlanders, Coura easily passing for seventeen though being somewhat younger, but also the fact that Coura was - well, difficult, in a lot of ways. Quite capable, of course. A good head on her shoulders, could run a remarkably fine con, talented in languages and weaponry and much else. But, still - difficult. 

Part of it was her irreverent attitude toward authority, her truly wicked sense of humor, along with her rather barbaric notions of what was acceptable. But part of it was that highly-uncomfortable way she looked at him sometimes, like he was a piece of jewelry she was considering buying but wasn't quite sure it worth the listed price, or maybe something from a dessert tray she was mentally sampling to see if it suited her taste.

Well, he didn't really know how to explain it for it to make any sense, except that comparing Coura O'Donnell to a powder keg with the fuse lit and sizzling was uncomfortably apt. He often felt he was on the verge of being on the receiving end of something highly unpleasant, or at least something that made him more than a little uneasy, when he worked with her, or was even just around her for an extended period of time. 

Sometimes it was her deliberately and quite gleefully broadening his store of uncomfortable knowledge, knowledge he thought he could have done just fine without. 

Sometimes it was just the discomfort of trying to restrain his temper, sometimes his laughter, when she showed just how unsubtle she truly was. 

Sometimes associating with her resulted in physical damage, such as his getting shot, as had happened in Berlin - not that that had been her fault, exactly, even he had to admit that. After all, he was the one who, when she'd warned "he has a gun!", elected to shove in front of her, getting between her and that bullet. And hadn't she given him a good scold afterwards for that! 

Seems she'd just intended him to duck back, NOT get in the line of fire! (Of course, she had thought it quite acceptable for her to get between him and that snarling individual with a knife, gaining a rather remarkable slash in return, but according to her, that was "quite a different matter! Your skills in a knife fight are less than perfection, you know, Kevin.")

But, it turned out, it wasn't Coura who got Richards shot this time. No, that could be laid firmly at the feet of someone quite different - someone quite unexpected.

And for the hero of the hour to be Major Lionel Kingston? That was most unexpected as well. 

In fact, when those two men, Major Kingston and Colonel Dunfries walked in the door, no one could quite believe it. But why would they be there if they weren't involved in the plot? Kingston they knew quite well, too well for their comfort, and Dunfries they'd not met but Garrison had seen in the hallways of HQ a time or two.

Everyone present found it difficult to believe that EITHER officer was a traitor, but so far no one else had presented themselves to the replacement Prince Rudolph or Crown Princess Geila. 

Perhaps those two were there by some odd machination of the plotters, in an attempt to confuse or distract everyone. Only time would tell. 

Meanwhile, Garrison could drop a word in Kingston's ear so the irritating officer wouldn't spill the beans. Well, it wasn't like Kingston didn't know him and his men, wouldn't realize there was something fishy going on. Dunfries might not, that was up in the air; there hadn't been any personal contact before, and he had the reputation for being slightly dense anyway. 

{"Then again, COULD it be Kingston??} ran through more than one mind, only to be brushed aside by sheer logic. Still, it was a tempting thought.

Later, when the guns came out, Garrison, Goniff, Actor, even Richards, had to admit their leaning toward Kingston, of the two, had probably been swayed by their deep dislike for the man.

"Not that I think we're wrong about 'im being a prime jackass; can't see any disputing THAT!" the pickpocket ruefully insisted. "Just maybe wrong about 'im maybe being on the wrong side all this time."

Well, Kingston had earned their dislike, and it was returned with good measure. And, yes, that job a couple of months back, the one (ONE of the ones!) that had gone wrong? Garrison was pretty sure Kingston was at least partly responsible. But even Garrison had to admit being a prime jackass didn't mean the man was a traitor. 

"After all, the jackass list up at HQ and elsewhere is pretty long; they can't ALL be traitors, can they?"


	4. Royal Tangle

Major Lionel Kingston had dreamed of giving Lieutenant Craig Garrison his comeuppance for a very long time, well before Garrison and his con man, under the command of Major Kevin Richards, almost outed Kingston as an agent for the Nazi's. He swore that someday he WOULD get the upper hand, though for the moment he was far too busy figuring out how to finesse the delicate situation he found himself in.

It had seemed such an ideal opportunity that had presented itself, Prince Rudolph arriving to collect his niece, convey her back to her own small country to start training for the task ahead of her. 

Kingston's own superior, (the one NOT on the Allied side, although he WAS, embarrassingly enough, someone rather highly placed in Whitehall), had suggested killing several birds with one stone. 

"After all, Berlin wants the girl in their possession; Prince Rudolph reportedly wants the throne, which will NOT happen as long as the girl is in the way. We arrange for the girl's disappearance, send her along to the chaps in Berlin. That makes Berlin happy. In the process, we make Prince Rudolph happy, which I dare say will benefit us also, in one way or another. I've spoken with him, via an intermediary, and he is quite taken with the idea. The girl will not be so happy, of course, or her father, the current king of her country, and of course, our own government will be placed in an embarrassing position, but it is a rare situation that leaves EVERYONE happy, isn't that right, Kingston? We need to focus on the most beneficial outcome."

It had been easy enough for the Whitehall man to arrange for Prince Rudolph and the girl to be guests at that posh residence in Hampstead Heath. Arranging for Kingston and his confederate, Colonel Madoc Dunfries, to be invited for drinks and an introduction the evening of their arrival had been just as easy. A few words to Tamara Grimes was all it took for the first, even less for the second. This would hardly be the first time she'd undertaken such little tasks for him.

What had NOT been easy? For Kingston, it was concealing his shock when he entered the room and realized 'Prince Rudolph' was, in fact, Garrison's arrogant con man, Actor. That 'Geila' was a younger version of the Dragon? The presence of Major Kevin Richards and Craig Garrison and Garrison's annoying Cockney pickpocket? Shock upon shock upon shock!

Then he realized - the whole thing was a trap! Somehow someone had figured out enough to set up a con, knew an attempt would be made to take the girl while she was here. Where the real Prince Rudolph was, OR the girl, Kingston had no idea, but he knew his showing up here would turn eyes to him, eyes he could not afford to let remain on him or his varied activities. 

Richards was at the bottom of things, he was sure of that, and pulling that damned Garrison and HIS men into it was just the sort of thing he would expect. Oh, he knew the rest of that motley crew was around somewhere, probably keeping guard outside or above stairs.

The problem was, just by appearing here, he'd drawn attention to himself, so just aborting the mission would accomplish very little, long term. Once he'd caught their attention, it wasn't likely to go away, and that would hamper his activities far too much.

No, he had to somehow completely change their perception of his presence. But how? 

And then it came to him, and he smiled to himself. Yes, it was really quite easy, especially when he knew all the players involved, what skills each had. 

Of course, it would require him to throw his fellow undercover agent, Colonel Dunfries, under the wheels of that speeding bus, but that wasn't really all that important, nothing to be overly concerned about. Dunfries knew the risks, well enough, of the deep game they played, even if for some reason the man hadn't been sensible enough to know one of those risks was the ever-so-practical Colonel Lionel Kingston. 

Really, dreadfully shortsighted of the man. Kingston had ALWAYS been on the lookout for some betrayal by Dunfries, indeed by anyone he worked with, knowing if HE was capable of it, everyone else surely was also.

The plan also meant Major Kevin Richards would come to a sorry end, but there really was no downside to that either. In fact, it would be rather satisfying. It was men like Richards who were delaying the proper ending to this war, along with interfering with Kingston's plans for Garrison and his cons.

Now, surreptitiously searching the room, noting where Garrison was, where his men were, he could see the layout, could see who was assigned what part of the scheme. 

Garrison was casually sipping from that wine glass, focused on the doorway and the windows, obviously still expecting someone else to arrive.

That damned pickpocket was handling the drinks tray, constantly moving, trying to keep a roving eye on everything, although it was impossible for him to do that all at once, of course. It would take some tricky timing, avoiding those blue eyes, but it could be done. The man might be brighter than he had first appeared to Kingston, but it couldn't be by much!

The con man, Actor, in his role as Prince Rudolph, was sticking close to Richards and the girl, the one impersonating the Crown Princess. That they were continuing in their roles hinted at them perhaps still expecting someone else, or perhaps just wary of Dunfries and himself. That was confirmed by a quick, very quiet word from Garrison, and Kingston had nodded briskly, signaling his agreement to not making a scene - at least, not yet.

He knew it was Actor he needed to distract in order for his hastily-drawn plan to work. And he had just the person to do that - Tamara Grimes, their young and beautiful hostess, a relative of some degree to that mysterious man in Whitehall. 

Kingston didn't much care for her, thought she held herself too high, and thought herself far too superior to him. On his side, he considered her far too beautiful and charming and seductive for anyone's good, (possibly sour grapes on his part, especially since she'd never made any attempt to charm HIM, much less seduce him), but in this case, 'beautiful and charming and seductive' was exactly what he needed. 

And it worked quite well, the lovely young woman quite content to accept his quietly whispered suggestion that "Prince Rudolph seems slightly bored, Miss Grimes. Perhaps you might alleviate that boredom? Somewhere at least a few paces away, and so that he is facing AWAY from the fireplace, perhaps?"

A knowing look, and Tamara smoothed her hands over her elegant gown, casually accepted another glass of wine from the blond man carrying that tray, and headed in Actor's direction. 

Kingston watched as she moved to draw the man's attention, draw him away from where Major Richards {"smug, conniving, tricky bastard!"} was standing and conversing with the fake Geila.

Tamara smoothed her turquoise skirts into place, dispatching that slight hint of nervousness at the thought of being involved to a greater degree than her original intent, leaned in to murmur a gentle inquiry, and Kingston watched as her perfume, her performance, caught 'Prince Rudolph's' attention. It didn't take much, a few words, a smile, a sideways glance, and the man moved away from where he'd been, now facing the French doors, now gazing deeply into her dark welcoming eyes.

"My dear Prince Rudolph, we've scarcely had a moment since you arrived. I would dearly love to hear your opinion . . ."

Kingston watched in deep satisfaction as that first part of his plan fell into place. 

Now, to manoeuvre Colonel Dunfries into position to take the shot. 

Casually he turned to Dunfries and in a low voice quickly outlined the action needed. And while the plan was much more violent than what was originally agreed upon, Dunfries was accustomed to taking orders from Kingston, their military titles taking second place to their rankings as agents for the Axis powers, just gave a slight nod and, under the guise of examining the paintings on the wall, moved casually to where he had a better view, a better aim. 

Kingston also moved into a better position, noting that Garrison's eyes followed him carefully, then shifted back to watching other possible entrances to the room. Thankfully, the other two of those blasted cons were still elsewhere, possibly outside waiting for any attack from that direction. He didn't really care, as long as they weren't here to interfere.

Kingston waited for Dunfries to carefully pull his pistol, shielding it from view of the others, then signaled Tamara Grimes with just a slight movement of one eyebrow. In response, she somehow managed to get her wine glass to where Actor bumped it, spilling it on her dress. With the conman otherwise engaged, apologizing and wiping her off with his immaculate handkerchief, Kingston saw Dunfries take that first shot.

Before anyone else could respond, he took a shot of his own, one that would leave no one to contradict the story Kingston had ready and waiting.

Yes, there was turmoil, loud voices, a hard "damn it, Kingston! We needed him alive!"

Kingston had been ready, pokered up and replied angrily, "he had his gun out, was already pulling the trigger! What was I to do??! Wait and ask his intentions??! I thought he was aiming for the girl, actually, not Richards! It's not like anyone ELSE was doing anything!"

No one questioned his firing, not with Richards having been slammed back against the wall with the force of the bullet from Dunfries' pistol, just his aim and the outcome, not having a live prisoner to question. 

Kingston managed to conceal his severe disappointment that Richards was NOT dead, not even too seriously injured. {"Oh, well. You can't have everything!"}

Coura's knife had flown to disable Dunfries' shooting arm as soon as she saw the man preparing to fire, realized either she or Richards was his target. It was due to that knife that the bullet that struck Richards was only a glancing blow, not the fatal one intended. But before the man could even drop the gun, that shot from Kingston's own weapon had dropped the man with a shot to the heart.

There was confusion, a quick summoning of the authorities. The lovely Tamara was seemingly in a state of shock, having general hysterics all over the place. Garrison was trying to contain his temper and get control over the situation, while Garrison's pickpocket was now holding a pistol in his hand, rather than that tray of drinks, now upended on the floor. 

{"Pity, I could use a celebratory drink right about now. After all, it all turned out quite well, I think, considering. Well, except for that fool being in the possession of a firearm; with his reputed poor aim, he could have killed any of us if it had gone off! Still might!"} 

Actor was tending to Richards' wound, with the girl watching his every move. From the snarl on her lips, she seemed to be rather annoyed with the con man, quite different from Kingston's point of view. He was more than a little grateful for the man's susceptibility, after all. He doubted he'd have been able to manage otherwise.


	5. Royal Indignation

And in an office in Whitehall, an impatient and indignant senior official in an end office explained to the two men questioning him, "yes, of course, I arranged for the Prince and the Crown Princess to stay with my cousin! Or I should say, the substitutes for the Prince and the Crown Princess, and I will admit I am not overly pleased that I was kept in the dark about the substitution! I am certainly not pleased to have, in all innocence, put my cousin in such an awkward, even dangerous position! She is still quite overwrought!

"Considering the delicacy of the matter, the tender age of the girl, I thought my cousin's house would be a discreet and suitable place for them to rest and have private conversations before their long journey home. They would not have been the first such visitors to be offered the opportunity, or who took advantage of that convenience. 

"No, neither myself nor my cousin invited either Colonel Dunfries or Major Kingston, OR Major Richards and the other men you say were there. Tamara assured me that Major Richards showed up and simply took over, as if he had every right! He brought in the other men, this Garrison and the waiter, and she supposes he invited Dunfries and Kingston, one or the other or both of them."

It was a good enough explanation to get them to leave, at least for now. A little time, some clever movements of the chess pieces, and things should calm down again, he was quite confident of that. Pity he didn't have that time available to him. 

It would be less than twelve hours later that Whitehall would get word from Miss Grimes that her cousin, the one who had occupied that end office, had suffered a fatal heart attack. She accepted their condolences with a faint sob before she put down the phone and picked up her glass of wine to sip at it in regal solitude.

{"Yes, really it is a shame, but orders are orders. And I DID make it as painless as possible; those drops in his drink were amazingly quick,"} she thought, effectively dismissing her cousin from her thoughts, and set about making plans for the next little operation Berlin had in mind for her. 

Meanwhile, Kingston was indignantly snapping off answers, not in the least appreciating being questioned, even as carefully and politely as it was being handled. 

"Colonel Dunfries approached me, asked me to accompany him. Well, it was far more an order than an invitation, I must admit. Said he had been invited to meet with some important visitors, and preferred not to go alone. No, he didn't say why, not to any of it. Yes, of course, I went; he really didn't leave me much choice. And, no, I have no idea why he wanted me there. Well, it hardly worked to his advantage, did it?

"AND I would like to point out that, if Major Richards thought having Lieutenant Garrison and his thugs there would help the situation, he was certainly mistaken! They were caught entirely flat-footed; thankfully I was not, or there might have been a very different ending, you know!"

Actor was highly indignant with that brief but intense followup encounter with Coura. Yes, perhaps there was some justification for her to be annoyed, but really! That level of rudeness had been quite unnecessary!

No, of course Actor hadn't INTENDED to let Major Richards be surprised like that, end up on the wrong end of a bullet. But, it had happened, and yes, it WAS because Actor allowed the lovely Tamara pull him into her sweetly-scented web. 

Luckily for Richards, it had been only a deep gouge across the ribs, painful, certainly, but not a direct hit, but the youngest of the O'Donnell sisters had not taken it very well. 

No, truth tell it, she hadn't taken it well at all! That hissing under-the-breath declaration from the young woman had certainly not come from sweet little 'Geila', certainly had not been learned in any exclusive girls' school! Not unless the term 'damned testosterone-driven impulses' was part of their studies! Along with a suggested remedy. Though she DID affirm Actor's 'royal' status - most crudely, in fact.

Actually, and to no real surprise, neither Major Richards, or the rest of the team, including Garrison, had taken the incident all that well either - but Garrison and the O'Donnell girl were the only ones at that moment who realized just why Colonel Dunfries was able to get in that 'lucky shot' before Major Kingston took out the shooter.

Certainly Coura was the only one who brought up the subject of an egg cup and knife. And there was something about the glint in her eye that made Actor hesitant to ignore her words, as outrageous and rude and unfair as they decidedly were.

He was expressing that to Garrison in the privacy of Garrison's office, insisting that someone, Garrison possibly, needed to take that young woman to task for her rudeness and threats.

Garrison watched the stiff-backed Italian pouring a drink, and shook his head with annoyance.

"Actor, admit it. She's right. Sometimes you just really ARE an arrogant, royal fuck-up, you know??!"

The tall Italian con man paused in pouring out that whiskey into the glasses, turned to look at Garrison in shock, scarcely noticing the stray drops he'd bespattered over his hand and the tray in his astonishment. 

Whatever the reaction he'd expected from his part in that last job, that was NOT it! After all, no one had been expecting the blatant attack, especially from Colonel Dunfries; it was hardly HIS fault!

Yes, he had expected some reprimand for being out of position; there was no likelihood of avoiding that, considering the circumstances. But this? 

He'd seen Garrison seriously annoyed before, but rarely with him, or at least not so outspoken in expressing that annoyance, never crude about it. Now, from that look, those words from their team leader, it was obvious the officer was barely restraining his anger. No, as the officer's voice increased in intensity, it appeared Garrison wasn't restraining it after all!

"Actor, you knew what you were supposed to do! You were to stick with Coura and Richards. You were the one person the traitor wouldn't have suspected since you were supposedly already on their side! You were to be there for our people if things turned dicey. You knew, and yet you let yourself get distracted, pulled away - let yourself focus on that woman instead! 

"Damn it, Actor!!! Last time it was Meghada who got shot because of you not paying attention to your job. It was Richards, this time; it could have been Coura just as easily. Next time it could be Casino or Chief or Goniff!

"I am seriously considering her solution to your 'little problem', you know? This is NOT the first time this has happened; I remember even if you don't! Coura's solution might not help with you getting distracted by books and art, but it sure as hell should help with the female aspect of things!"

Actor flinched. Coura had been extremely blunt, indeed, graphic in what she thought just might prevent another such incident. Had even offered Garrison her assistance (making sure Actor understood her quite clearly) since "big sister Caeide showed me how, with the horses, you know. It's not all that difficult, and the results most satisfactory. Quite changes their minds about letting the scent of a mare pull them away from their responsibilities." 

And the addition of said egg cup, and exceedingly dull butter knife, to the mantle of the Common Room, both at the Mansion, and much later, at The Cottages? That was a message delivered and received most clearly. Especially when the duo reappeared every time he removed them. Oh, the pattern on the egg cup might change - cream to white to blue-patterned back to white and so on, and the butter knife might be of a slightly different design - but still, to all intent and purposes (such dire purposes!), they were basically the same. All delivered the same message - "screw up again, and you can kiss any inclinations toward fatherhood goodbye!"

No, Coura wasn't subtle. Sometimes the crew thought Richards was right when he had proclaimed, "I'm not sure any of the family really understands what the word means, actually. I've tried a dictionary, but . . ."


	6. Royalty Ascending

He watched the coronation on the small television set with deep satisfaction. There was just something about the trappings of royalty that appealed to him at a visceral level, and he had to admit this second day of June, 1953, he was quite impressed. If there was one thing the British did quite well, it was the pomp and circumstance surrounding such events. 

He had not been alone; Craig, Meghada, Goniff, Casino and Chief, Lizzie and Lynn were also gathered around. Douglas and Jess were off doing something, probably involving a romp through the woods somewhere. 

The two youngest (well, except for Randy) had invited Meghada to join them since, as Douglas put it, "I mean, you were there for the ceremony of handing over of the Flail and Rod of Office to the current Grandmother; took well less than twenty minutes, as I recall, and no fancy dress or long-winded speeches required, and you were still twitchy before it was all over. 

"And when Parker Andrews and the Crown Princess Geila got married, and then immediately afterwards he went through the ceremony of being proclaimed Prince Consort? You knew and liked them both, but I could still FEEL you fidgeting before it was halfway over, and I was all the way across the ballroom! I can't imagine you've all that much interest in or patience for spending hours on THIS bit of pagentry, and it's supposed to be nearly as long, if not longer!"

Seeing the totally appalled look on Goniff's face at that statement, (he might have a less than favorable view of the 'toffs', in general, but he was still an Englishman, loyal to the core, and couldn't help but be stirred by what he was experiencing - well, along with the sight of all those lovely sparklies everyone was wearing), the woman had just grinned at her younger brother and his Jess, and assured them that she had every intention of watching, at least for awhile.

"I wouldn't think of missing this. You two run along and have fun, but be careful of poachers and traps, especially if you go off our land. Anyway, I expect I'll bring Randy in for part, until he gets weary of it, anyway. If nothing else, all the sparklies should catch his attention; probably start giving us an estimation of their fenced value among all else! I imagine the arguing between Actor, Goniff and Randy on that little matter should be fascinating. Well, hopefully it won't inspire anyone to go on a 'shopping' expedition. I doubt that would be appreciated at the Palaces; seem quite fond of those Crown Jewels of theirs, after all."

(And if she got too bored, she could always leave the others to it and quietly go do other things when her patience and endurance ran thin, as long as she left and returned discreetly.)

Of course, later in the evening, talking about the day, sipping a glass of good whiskey or bourbon or brandy, Actor's friends had their own comments, some favorable, some less so. Oh, not on the coronation itself - all agreed that had been quite the spectacle. 

No, it was after he'd so regally pronounced that he'd "found it so deeply satisfying to watch. I have always felt the greatest affinity of the Royals, you know," that the others starting coming up with reminders of his frequent displays of his own 'royal' nature. He got quite a bit of twitting on that.

There was no denying that Actor prided himself on being 'aristocratic'. On occasion, even 'regal'. He had never claimed to be royal, had never been called that before, although he thought he could do the part justice should the circumstances require such an effort on his part. 

Well, there was a certain con in Monte Carlo, and the one in - well, actually, yes, come to think on it, he actually HAD made that claim, and more than once.

But, to be reminded of that unpleasant episode in Hampstead Heath, the matter involving Crown Princess Geila, that brought a cringe deep within him, and he shot a quick surreptitious glance at the display shelf at the side of the room. Yes, the reminder still stood there, a silent hint that perhaps he should focus a little less on appearing 'royal' and be a lot more attentive to any job at hand. 

He'd tried removing that little hint on more than one occasion, but it kept reappearing, without fail. He noted, with some resigned detachment, that this time it was a cherry on cream pattern for the egg cup. 

He had a considerable collection by this time, taking up part of his bottom chest drawer in the bedroom. It was probably time to box them up and drop them off with Mrs. Wilson, as he had done once before. 

Most appreciative she'd been, too, although more than a little curious how one man could manage to collect so many such items. Seemed an odd thing, at least to her mind, not being able to settle on one he particularly liked enough to keep.


End file.
